Collapsible trays



July 18, 1961 J KRAM 2,992,765

COLLAPSIBLE TRAYS Filed Nov. 13, 1958 INVENTOR. Jesse Kram ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,992,765 COLLAPSIBLE TRAYS Jesse Kram, 254 W. 54th St., New York 19, N.Y. Filed Nov. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 773,743 Claims. (Cl. 229-30) This invention relates to trays, and more particularly concerns shallow trays adapted to carry food products or to be used for display purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tray construction made from pasteboard or pasteboard laminated to metal foil, or the like; wherein the tray may be stored when not in use, in flat folded or collapsed form to take up minimum storage space, yet may be quickly and readily converted into a shallow rimmed tray by simple manipulation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray construction of the character described, which may be formed from a simple die cut blank and requiring no other fabricating operations, such blank being readily manipulated by the user to a form wherein the same may be alternatively folded or collapsed to absolutely flat form when not in use, or may be converted to a shallow rimmed tray for immediate use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shallow tray construction which may be formed from inexpensive materials such as pasteboard or the like; which may be faced with metal foil in plain or decorated form; which is highly presentable in use, yet may be disposed of after a single use thereof, or reused, as desired.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which the tray embodying the invention, may be formed;

FIG. 2. is a top plan view of one end of the tray in its set up condition;

FIG. 3 is a transverse view taken on the line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse view taken on the line 44 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan View of one end of a tray illustrating a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to that of FIG. 5, showing a modification thereof; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a tray embodying the invention and illustrating still another form thereof.

Essentially, the tray embodying the invention comprises a flat, diecut blank of cardboard or other suitable material, which includes a bottom panel portion of oval, circular or other suitable outline and rim forming portions hingedly related to the bottom panel portion. The rim forming portions include end portions which are arranged in overlapping relation to produce the outwardly flared rim effect, the overlapped end portions being permanently or disconnectibly interconnected. Furthermore, the bottom panel is longitudinally creased to facilitate the conversion of the blank to its setup form and to allow for folding the tray into compact form, when the same is not in use.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, 10 designates a fiat blank emboding the invention and convertible to a shallow tray of oval shape. Blank 10 may be diecut from pasteboard or the like, which may be lined on one or both sides with metal foil or the like.

Blank 10 includes an oval shaped bottom panel 11 which comprises a pair of similar sections 12, 13 hingedly connected together along a longitudinal, medially located fold line 14; the blank having oppositely disposed convexly curved end edges 15, 16.

Integral with panel 11 are rim forming portions generally designated at '17, 18. Each of the rim forming portions 17, 18 is hingedly connected to panel 11 by curvilinear crease lines 19, 20 which interconnect panel edges 15, 16. Thus, each of the rim forming portions 17, 18 comprises an intermediate rim portion 21, 22 respectively, with end rim portions 23, 24 projecting from intermediate rim portion 21; and end rim portions 25, 26 projecting from intermediate rim portion 22. The end rim portions 23, 25 are generally curvilinear and extend toward each other, and similarly end rim portions 24, 26 extend toward each other.

The end rim portions 23, 24, .25, 26 have inner curvilinear edge portions 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a, respectively; said edge portions being in opposed relation to arcuate edge portions 15, 16 of panel 11. However, edge portions 23a, 24a in respect to edge 15 and edge portions 25a, 26a in respect to edge 16 are cut in a manner to provide crescent shaped spaces 27, 28 which symmetrically related to fold line 14.

'End rim portions 23, 25 are formed with semicircular tongues 29, 30 which are oppositely related. to each other and are located adjacent edges 31, 3.2 of said rim portions respectively. End rim portions 24, 26 are formed with similar tongues 29, 30.

The flat blank 10, shown in FIG. 1, is readily converted to tray form by overlapping the end rim portions 23, 25 and retaining the same in overlapped condition by interengaging tongues 29, 30. Similarly, end rim portions 24, 26 are overlapped and held together by tongues 29, 30 thereof. This overlapping operation will cause panel sections 12, 13 to assume angular positions relative to each other at fold line 14. The sections may then be pressed down to coplanar condition, whereby intermediate rim portions 21, 22 and end rim portions 23, 25; 24, 26 will assume their outwardly flared positions as indicated in FIGS. 24. End edges 15, 16 0f the panel sections 12, 13 will abut the end rim portions 23, 25; 24, 26 slightly above the inner edges 23a, 25a; 24a, 26a.

The setup tray may also be restored to its original flat condition, as by disengaging tongues 29, 30 and the blank may then be folded on line 14, to allow for compact storage of the tray blanks.

As an alternative to tongues 29, 30; the overlapping end rim portions 23, 25; 24, 26 may be adhesively secured together as indicated in FIG. 5. In this case the crease line 14 is extended through the overlapped rim portions to provide a fold line for the end rim portions which is in alignment with fold line 14 in the bottom panel 11, thus allowing this form of the tray, also to be folded, when not in use. The entire upper surface of the bottom panel as well as the intermediate and end rim portions may have a covering of metal foil M adhered thereto.

The bottom panel 11 may be positively engaged with end rim portions 23, 25; 24, 26 by means of a tongue 33 projecting from a midportion of panel end edges 15 and receivable in a slot 34 formed in the overlapped end rim portions, as shown in FIG. 6. This arrangement is equally applicable to the adhesively interconnected end rim portions, as well as those connected by disengageable tongues.

Trays made in accordance with the invention, may also have bottom panels 11a of circular shape, as shown in FIG. 7. The end rim portions 35, 36; 37, 38 are cut so as to provide crescent shaped spaces between their inner edges and the opposed end edge 39, 40 of the bottom panel 11a. The end rim portions may be provided with interengageable tongue portions 41, 42 to efiect the outwardly flared, raised condition of rim portions 43, 44 as well as end rim portion 35, 36; 37, 38. End edges 39, 40 of the bottom panel 111a will abut the end rim portions slightly above their inner edges,

3 when the tray is in its set up condition, as previously described.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention herein described without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that, all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A tray comprising a bottom panel having arcuate opposite end edges and a rim therefor, said rim comprising a pair of side portions respectively hinged to opposite side edge portions of said panel, each of said rim side portions having end rim portions extending from the opposite ends thereof, the end rim portions at each end of said panel having opposed, substantially abutting edges longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal medial line of said panel, each of said rim end portions having an arcuate inner edge in closely spaced relation to the arcuate end edge portions of said panel, each inner rim edge and the opposed end panel edge being adjacent each other to form a narrow crescent shaped space therebetween, and means for interconnecting slightly overlapping portions of the pair of end rim portions at each end of said panel whereby to bring the arcuate end edges of said panel into directly abutting relation with lower marginal portions of said interconnected rim end portions and to locate said side and end rim portions in outwardly and upwardly inclined relation to said panel.

2. A tray as in claim 1 wherein the overlapping portions of each pair of end rim portions include means for detachably interconnecting said overlapping portions.

3. A tray as in claim 1 wherein said bottom panel comprises a pair of similar sections hingedly interconnected longitudinally along said medial line to allow for folding said bottom panel along said medial line.

4. A tray blanking comprising a bottom panel having arcuate end edges at the opposite endsthereof, rim forming portions on opposite sides of said. panel, each rim forming portion including a side portion hingedly connected to the side edges of said panel and a pair of end portions extending from the opposite ends of each side portion, the rim end portions at each end of said panel having abutting edges longitudinally aligned with extensions of a longitudinal medial line in said panel, each pair of adjacent end rim portions having arcuate inner edges in closely spaced relation to the opposed arcuate end edges of said panel, each of said spaces being of narrow crescent shape symmetrically related to the ends of said medial line.

5. A tray blank as in claim 4 wherein each of said rim end portions is formed at the outer ends thereof with connector means whereby slightly overlapping marginal end portions of each pair of adjacentend rim portions may be detachably retained in said overlapping relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,158,699 McCleery Nov. 2, l915 2,054,473 Towell Sept. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 961,269 France Nov. 14, 1949 

